ONE PIECE: THE GREAT VOYAGE

"The former—'One force can break through ten techniques!'

The latter—'In the world of martial arts, speed is the only invincible technique!'

Thus, if either of these reaches its absolute peak, one can stand at the summit of power!"

Hearing this, Dracule Mihawk nodded, half-understanding.

He could sense the profound meaning behind these words, and they resonated with him deeply, as he had always pursued the ultimate form of swordsmanship. However, this perspective on swordsmanship was something entirely new to him—it was an approach he had never considered before.

He needed time, experience, and battle to fully grasp its essence. Words alone were too superficial; only when integrated into the sword itself would they reveal their true meaning.

"Let me give you a simple example!"

"Take one of the greatest representatives of this philosophy—the legendary Marine Vice Admiral, Garp!"

"That old monster has honed his fists to the pinnacle of power. Even I, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Roger, would prefer not to take a punch from him!"

"So, if you can hone one of these two aspects of swordsmanship to its absolute limit, you too can become a top-tier swordsman!"

"The title of the world's strongest swordsman will no longer be just a dream!"

Mihawk was shaken.

At this point in time, he was still early in his journey of swordsmanship, having not even spent a full year at sea. Compared to the timeline in the original story, this was significantly earlier.

But Mihawk found himself convinced by Caesar's words—especially when Garp was used as an example.

Of course, he was well aware of the legendary "Marine Hero" Monkey D. Garp—the man who had fought toe-to-toe with the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and shaped an era with his fists alone.

This blend of theory and real-world examples left Mihawk completely enthralled.

After laying down these theories, Caesar stopped relying solely on explanations.

Instead, he taught through battle, forcing Mihawk to figure out his weaknesses firsthand.

After all, no amount of theory could replace actual combat. Even the strongest philosophies needed to be tested in the heat of battle.

And in this harsh environment, Mihawk's growth accelerated tremendously.

Whenever Caesar was busy, he would have Effiete teach Mihawk, and occasionally, he would send him to spar with Gnali, Issho (Fujitora), Leopard Goro, and even Brook.

Mihawk possessed extraordinary talent, but he could not be constrained by a singular school of thought. He needed to broaden his horizons, absorbing all techniques until he reached a realm where the sword was no longer bound by form—a state where he could swing his blade freely and effortlessly, without techniques, yet achieving absolute victory.

This was the path Mihawk was destined to take in the original timeline, but under Caesar's guidance, he was walking it far earlier.

---

Meanwhile, Caesar had his own responsibilities.

As the ruler of the Middle Kingdom, he was occupied with matters of governance—expanding the kingdom, relocating entire islands, increasing the population, and training Mihawk.

Of course, he had not forgotten his three children either.

He even began training Carlos, who had chosen the spear as his weapon due to his Devil Fruit ability.

For Caesar, this was no challenge. But his spear skills, which were once ordinary, were now becoming terrifyingly refined.

This was due to his innate talent, photographic memory, and extraordinary learning ability.

By simply observing others wield long weapons, he could mentally replicate their movements and master them almost instantly.

Not only that, but he could also create his own spear techniques. He would meticulously analyze and test his techniques, searching for flaws using pure martial arts—whether through short weapons like swords or daggers, or long weapons like spears, staffs, and halberds.

Through countless repetitions, he would refine his techniques until no flaws remained.

For an ordinary person, this kind of training was unimaginable. But for Caesar, it was second nature.

---

His mastery over the spear had now reached a level comparable to a Great Swordsman.

This was not an exaggeration.

Although his swordsmanship still surpassed his spear skills, he had reached a stage where, in just a few years, he might match the level of the world's top swordsmen in spear combat alone!

And because he wanted to teach his son to create his own spear techniques, he had also familiarized himself with other weapons.

At his level, true power was no longer about specific techniques—it was about transcending limitations.

His physical strength, his Devil Fruit abilities, and his mastery over Haki had all reached a bottleneck.

At this stage, the only way forward was through refinement and time.

Even the strongest, like Monkey D. Garp, had spent decades perfecting his Armament Haki, shattering mountains with his fists.

This level of inhuman willpower and relentless perseverance was something that only a select few could achieve.

Time passed like the tide, and in the blink of an eye, several months had gone by.

Carlos and his siblings had turned six years old, and the youngest ones had reached their first year of life.

And then—another great change occurred.

Effiete was pregnant.

The news spread across the kingdom like wildfire.

The people, whose numbers now exceeded ten million, rejoiced.

After all, Caesar had expanded the kingdom, moved entire islands, saved countless people, and created a prosperous, thriving nation. He was not just a ruler—he was their savior.

The celebrations lasted for days. In the streets, spontaneous banquets were held.

Caesar, too, was overjoyed. This was his first child with Effiete, and he eagerly awaited their arrival, unsure whether it would be a boy or a girl.

---

Meanwhile, beyond the Middle Kingdom, the World Government was making significant progress.

They had finally overcome the biggest hurdle in television technology—signal transmission.

In truth, once something is invented, it is only a matter of time before others crack it.

What held them back was not a lack of intelligence, but simply the absence of patents and copyright laws in this world.

And in a world without patents, reverse-engineering any invention was a simple task.

Caesar sat in his palace, reviewing reports on the situation.

The speed at which the World Government had cracked the television signal had surprised even him.

It had been less than a year since television was introduced, yet they had already developed their own signal transmission devices.

But Caesar knew why—Dr. Vegapunk had already solved the hardest part.

The World Government's scientists only needed to replicate what was already there.

Still, there was one challenge that Caesar was sure would frustrate them:

The installation of a large-scale signal transmission system.

Even Caesar had initially thought of using signal towers rather than satellites.

He doubted that the World Government would quickly consider satellites—without prior knowledge, they would struggle to grasp the concept.

Even Dr. Vegapunk, a man 500 years ahead of his time, had not immediately pursued satellite technology.

And even if they did figure it out...

It wouldn't matter.

Because Caesar had already anticipated this.

His satellites were encrypted, making them completely unusable by the World Government.

The complexity of his encryption was on a level that would take the World Government years, if not decades, to crack.

And at the end of the day, Caesar held the highest authority.

The world was changing.

And he, Caesar, was the one shaping it.

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